OOIDA’s push against ELD mandate keeps on truckin’

The trucking group has called on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to “urgently conduct” an oversight hearing on the implementation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s electronic logging device mandate.    The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has called on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to “urgently conduct” an oversight hearing on the implementation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) electronic logging device (ELD) mandate.
   OOIDA Acting President and CEO Todd Spencer said last Wednesday in a letter to the committee on behalf of the trucking group that since the mandate kicked into gear, truckers have informed the group of the many problems they have experienced in relation to the devices, including several vendor-wide systems failures, faulty GPS tracking, inaccurate recording of duty statuses, engine disablements, speed irregularities, abysmal customer service from manufacturers, and a worsening truck parking crisis.
   According to the letter, the FMCSA has taken no steps to remedy these issues, or even inform truckers their devices may not be compliant, and instead, is relying on vendors to fix their equipment.
   The letter also said that Congress should avoid enacting “one-size-fits-all” mandates on industries as diverse as trucking.
   “FMCSA has granted a patchwork of temporary waivers, exemptions, and ‘soft enforcement’ deadlines that have only caused more confusion across the country,” the letter said.
   The ELD mandate took effect Dec. 18, 2017, despite strong opposition by OOIDA.
   Drivers currently not in compliance with the mandate can receive citations, but effective April 1, they can be placed out of service.
   The FMCSA has argued the ELD mandate is designed to help create a safer work environment for drivers; and make it easier and faster to accurately track, manage and share records of duty status data.
   Since the implementation of the ELD mandate, trucking capacity has continued to tighten, which is partly due to the mandate. However, the capacity crunch could intensify after April 1, once the mandate is in full effect.